Nine years ago this week, while typing my column
for this newsletter, the unthinkable happened. The
date was September 11, 2001 and I was in the middle
of a paragraph recounting the terrific time I had
while giving a talk in Sioux City, Iowa when the
scenes that transfixed the world began to unfold
across my television set. The juxtaposition between
the terrorists who unleashed such horror and the
loving caregivers I met in Iowa was striking and I
commented that no such acts would tear this country
apart; rather…

“No matter what ends they hope to accomplish, I
guarantee you that with the community, love and
support that I have seen across this country in
cities large and small, these cowards will never
win...”

Nine years forward and much of what was to be
expected has happened, as has much that we could not
have anticipated. One positive thing which occurred
in the days immediately after the attack was the
sense of unity we felt as a nation, not to mention
the support and well-wishes of much of the world.
Unfortunately, it did not take long for a dizzyingly
fast series of events to unravel those feeling.

Now, so many deaths later, and with the events of
that horrific day and those that followed turned
into a political football, this is a perfect moment
for silent reflection— to stop and think. Think of
those we lost and their loved ones, as well as those
brave First Responders who are dealing with
unforeseen respiratory illnesses to this day. Think
of our new heroes returning from the war with
injuries, seen and unseen, that they will be dealing
with for years to come, and think of their families
that stand with them as they work hard to recover.

We need to find a way back to the solidarity and
sense of community we felt those long days and
nights ago. We need to remember the
compassion, civility and unity we all felt and renew
those feelings in all things we do together as
citizens. That is truly the only way to guarantee
that the bad guys never win.